The first order of business for Netflix’s “Terminator Zero” showrunner and creator Mattson Tomlin was to get back to the core sci-fi horror elements that permeated director James Cameron’s “Terminator” and “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” films.
From the looks of this latest trailer, Tomlin has succeeded, revitalizing the “Terminator” franchise in one fell swoop of instant anime intensity.
“Terminator Zero” is an eight-episode series arriving on the streaming titan’s platform on Aug. 29, 2024 — Judgment Day! Its storyline unfolds in the dual timelines of 1997 and 2022. As Judgment Day approaches, a brilliant scientist named Malcolm Lee has created an advanced AI he calls Kokoro to employ in a battle against the paranoid, self-aware defense system known as Skynet. A valiant female freedom fighter named Eiko is launched back in time from 2022 to help save Lee from a murderous T-800 Terminator unit determined to wipe out this human threat.
Here’s the official synopsis:
“Caught between the future and this past is a soldier sent back in time to change the fate of humanity. She arrives in 1997 to protect a scientist named Malcolm Lee, who works to launch a new AI system designed to compete with Skynet’s impending attack on humanity. As Malcolm navigates the moral complexities of his creation, he is hunted by an unrelenting assassin from the future, which forever alters the fate of his three children.”
Related: The “Terminator” movies in order
Tomlin was the co-screenwriter behind director Matt Reeves’ “The Batman” and upcoming “The Batman II,” so he’s well versed and seriously steeped in dark material. Diehard “Terminator” fans can therefore expect a certain level of atmospheric excellence and superior storytelling.
“Skynet will come online,” Lee declares to Kokoro in this stirring preview, which features Smashing Pumpkins’ hit ‘Disarm.’ “In an act of self-preservation, it will enact nuclear strikes. I believe humanity still has a fighting chance. I believe that you have the power to change our fate.”
“Terminator Zero” has an enviable roster of voice talent that includes Timothy Olyphant (“Deadwood,” “Justified”) as the T-800 Terminator, Rosario Dawson (“Ahsoka”) as Kokoro, André Holland (“Moonlight”) as Malcolm Lee, Sonoya Mizuno (“House of the Dragon”) as Eiko, and Ann Dowd (The Handmaid’s Tale) playing the part of The Prophet.
Directorial duties for this decidedly old-school anime project set in Tokyo comes from “Bleach’s” Japanese filmmaker Masashi Kudo, with the show’s evocative animation produced by Production IG. Tomlin will executive produce alongside Skydance’s David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Don Granger.
“Terminator Zero” infiltrates our timeline starting Aug. 29 on Netflix.